Special Charm
by The Moon's Berserk
Summary: None of this was supposed to happen, nightmares should never come true, and the purest of dreams should never blend with the deepest of terrors.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Axel looked out the window, noticing how dark it had gotten. Lightening flashed in the distance through a wall of threatening clouds.

Little known fact among his friends, Axel hated storms.

"I should go now, guys!" he yelled over the music that Demyx had blaring.

"What?" Roxas shouted back, nearly falling over as Demyx bumped him with his hip with way more force than necessary.

"I said I'm leaving!" The redhead grabbed his jacket and gestured to it for emphasis, slipping it on as well.

"Are you leaving? No way dude, it's only-" Demyx paused in his shouting to finally turn down the music. "It's only 9. Why are you leaving?"

"I live way on the other side of town, Dem. And it's about to storm." Axel responded pointing out of the window.

As if on cue, the sound of thunder rumbled quietly, as if far away. Axel cursed under his breath. He hated driving in bad weather.

"Well okay. Bye-bye, Axel!" Demyx said, hugging the man.

"Be safe, Ax." Roxas said with a smile.

Axel hugged Demyx back and said his goodbyes before grabbing his keys and heading out the door.

Rushing to his car, lightening struck and another clap of thunder boomed even closer, causing Axel to jump. He quickly looked back at the house to make sure the boys hadn't seen his little freak out.

Breathing a sigh of relief that he didn't have an audience, he slipped into his vehicle and started the engine.

He adjusted the rearview mirror, noticing what looked like someone standing in the middle of the road behind him. Axel turned around but saw nothing there.

The redhead did not like to think of himself as a chicken, but with a storm rolling in, Demyx and Roxas living relatively in the middle of the woods, and strange shadows popping up… he was getting the _hell_ out of dodge.

He backed out of the driveway and zoomed down the street toward his home as fast as he could.

* * *

><p>It was relatively quiet after Axel left. Roxas cleaned up the room they were in while Demyx stared out of the window.<p>

"It's like I see him sometimes," the mohawked boy said quietly.

Roxas sighed and walked over, shutting the curtains, not daring to look outside. Sometimes in the dark, he swore he could see a figure there too. It gave him goose bumps.

If it was Zexion, he wasn't the same anymore.

Demyx and Roxas had been roommates ever since Demyx's closest friend, Zexion, disappeared without a trace. The police decided with no leads whatsoever, and so much time put into the investigation, that they would have to drop the search.

"Dem, it's okay." Roxas started the same speech all over again. "I'm sure he's in a better pla-"

"No!" Demyx shouted, turning to him suddenly. "Don't you dare. He is not dead. He's not." His voice caught with his last sentence and he turned his head.

"Dem, I'm-" Demyx threw his hands up before Roxas could finish and went into his room.

Roxas sighed, running a hand through his spiky hair. He pulled out his cellphone and flipped it open.

"April 5th…" he whispered to himself. So that's why Demyx was even worse than usual. This would mark the 3rd year since the slate-haired boy had been missing.

Roxas sent a quick text to Axel reminding him to call when he got home, a habit they had formed since Zexion's incident, and the dialed his twin brother's number.

"Hey, Rox." Sora answered.

"So, Demyx is like, really bad right now." Roxas responded, getting to the point. There was a small pause filled with the sound of rustling.

"Oh man, it is almost the… anniversary. It's still unbelievable isn't it?" the brunette asked.

Here is where they differed. Sora and Demyx were the only two who couldn't quite let go of the fact that Zexion was gone. It had been years, and they had to accept what had happened.

"Well, I guess it's hard having someone there all the time and then they… aren't," Roxas said awkwardly. Hearing another voice in the background from Sora's end, he added, "Tell Riku I said hi. Catch you later, So. Be safe."

Roxas shut his phone and sat back, turning on the TV. A flash of lightening was followed by thunder and then total darkness and the sound of heavy rain hitting the windows.

* * *

><p>The rain had picked up severely.<p>

Axel wouldn't have been able to see clearly through the dark and rain had he not already reached the wooded part of town. The water droplets were blocked by the canopy of trees that stretched out over the road.

He was nearly on the other side of the city by now. The woods lasted forever, almost like a tunnel between cities. Axel had nearly made it out when he saw someone walking along the street.

The redhead slammed on the brakes, causing his tires to screech and his car to swerve roughly. He gripped the steering wheel, turning it violently to stay in control. The person had stopped and blinked at the car, face unaffected by the fact that the car could have hit him.

His clothes were tattered, skin pale, hair damp. He was filthy. He just stood there hugging himself as Axel rolled down his car window, out of breath.

"Z-Zexion?"

* * *

><p>"Riku, come on. You can go in the morning, it's storming." Sora pleaded.<p>

"Sora, I want a sandwich _now_." was the response he got.

Damn was he a stubborn asshole.

"You're a stubborn asshole, do you know that?" Sora said, voicing his thoughts. Riku scoffed.

"Be right back, So." he said, grabbing his keys. Sora jumped up from the couch and grabbed his arm.

"Riku, please!"

Riku hated when Sora got like this. It was horrible and it absolutely broke his heart. Sometimes, he couldn't even go to work without Sora making a big fuss. The silver haired boy really thought his boyfriend and Demyx should go get professional help for post traumatic issues, but they wouldn't listen.

"My god, Sora if you're that scared, just go with me." Riku said, not even attempting to get his boyfriend off of him.

"I told you, I can't. I have to finish my term paper…" Sora trailed off.

Sora also refused to leave the house. Another thing he really thought he should get help with. Once Zexion went missing, he refused to go to school anymore until eventually he decided he was safe with Riku.

They got together around then. Riku had been the only reason that Sora moved out of his home and since he and Riku had different career paths in mind, Sora scheduled all of his classes to be online to avoid no having classes with Riku.

"Well, you're wasting time now. You might as well."

Sora didn't answer, he only loosened his grip on Riku. The silverette gave him a quick kiss on the lips.

"I'll be back Sora. I always come back. I'll be fine, okay babe?" he said softly to reassure the smaller boy. Sora nodded.

"I'll be okay… it's just…" he stopped talking and hugged Riku. "You just go and hurry back okay?"

Riku kissed him again and left the house leaving Sora to curl up on the couch and wait for Riku to safely return.

* * *

><p>"We should have made Axel stay. I'm worried now." he said, setting a lit candle on the coffee `table near the couch where Roxas sat.<p>

"I figured the storm was much further away." the shorter boy responded. He looked at his phone for the seventh time in the last twenty minutes. "I'm calling again, he should have been home by now."

The phone rand for awhile before, once again, going to voicemail. Roxas groaned.

"Axel! I'm about to send out a fucking search party if you do not call back or **answer** the phone!" he shouted, shutting his phone with force and throwing it next to him.

"No one else has heard from Axel either. Ah, this is just great." Demyx said, pacing back and forth. This was truly wrecking his mind. If something happened to Axel too…

A knock at the door made them both jump, despite all the thunder.

"Who's there?" Demyx called. There was no response for about a minute and then another knock. The two blondes looked at each other. Demyx repeated himself louder, still no answer.

"Maybe… Maybe it's Axel?" Roxas suggested. Another knock.

"Yeah, maybe he's trying to scare us," Demyx agreed, "Real funny, Ax!"

He opened the door, seeing a man in all black with a small girl. He was wearing a coat, she, on the other hand was soaked.

She had long blonde hair and a thin, short, white gown and was shivering uncontrollably. Who knew how long they had been out in the cold?

"Who… are you?" Demyx questioned, closing the door a little for protection.

The man didn't answer, he simply pushed the girl through the door. The girl shrieked as she fell to her knees, the man turned and ran off.

"Wha- hey! Get back here! You can't just-"

The man was gone, lost in the falling rain and fog. Demyx turned to Roxas who stared at the girl with wide eyes. She was crying in front of him, her hair hung in her face as she was leaning forward slightly.

"Demyx, what the hell are we supposed to do?" he asked, clearly panicked.

"I don't know!" Demyx yelled, also losing it. Too much was happening at once and he was not one for handling stress.

"Fucking hell! I… what?" Roxas couldn't even form coherent sentences.

Neither one of them made to move towards the girl. They had no idea who she was or where she had come from. For all they knew, she'd attack if they moved.

After staring at her for awhile, Demyx decided she was safe enough. After all, she was crying helplessly on his floor. He leaned down in front of her.

"Hey…" he said quietly, "What's your name?"

* * *

><p>"Zexion… what… how…" Axel stumbled over his words.<p>

Zexion only gave him a blank stare in response. He opened his mouth as if he were going to say something, but promptly closed it A gust of wind blew through the trees, causing him to hug himself tighter.

"Hey, hop in." Axel said, unlocking the door. Zexion hesitated before slowly walking over and getting into the car. Oddly, the scent of freshly brewed tea wafted over the car, same old Zexion scent despite the fact that he was… well… dirty at the moment. And that was no doubt driving him insane.

He still didn't speak as he sat there. Axel stared at him in concern, not really knowing what to say.

"I, uh, you probably want to get cleaned up. I can take you to Demyx's house if you-"

"No."

Axel jumped. Even though the boy's voice was raspy as if he hadn't talked in forever, it scared Axel that he had even spoke at all. Zexion would never pass up the chance to see Demyx either, and he was so close to his house…

"O… kay. I mean, I guess you wouldn't want Demyx to see you all… like this. Uh, I could take you to my house? So you could get all cleaned up?" Axel suggested. Talking to Zexion was so weird. They had never really communicated before and now here he was.

Zexion nodded in agreement, curling into his seat a little.

"All righty then," the redhead said, starting the car back up. He kept an extra focused stare at the road.

It was all he could do to ignore the bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.

* * *

><p>The girl looked up at him with pale periwinkle colored eyes but she didn't speak. Roxas approached her with towels, Demyx hadn't noticed he had left the room.<p>

"Here. You must be freezing." Roxas said, settling two big towels around her. She hugged the towels around herself and lowered her eyes to the ground.

"It's okay if you don't want to tell me your name," Demyx said with a smile, being friendly to make the girl feel more at ease, "but do you know who that guy was? Why were you with him?"

The girl's shoulder's began to shake slightly, soon breaking into a tremor that rocked her entire body. She began to gasp rapidly and loudly, searching for air. Demyx began flailing and begging the girl to calm down, he never knew what to do in these situations.

"Demyx! What did you say to her? You made her have a panic attack!" Roxas shouted, rushing to the girl's side.

"I only asked who the guy was!" Demyx responded. He had stood up and backed himself against a wall.

"That's a little too much for someone who doesn't even want to tell you their name, you don't even know what could have been going on!" Roxas responded bitterly. Demyx narrowed his eyes at the crouching blonde.

"Yeah, I know that. I was only trying to help." he answered, adding a bite to it as well.

"Please… don't… argue… " the girl breathed out between hiccups. Neither boy had even noticed that she had begun to cry again.

"I'm sorry," Roxas said softly. He touched her shoulder which cause the reaction of her flinching away. Roxas apologized again, cursing himself inwardly.

Demyx decided to start up the fireplace to provide warmth for the frail girl. It was awkward having her there and not even knowing her name. She was clearly uncomfortable and it made Demyx feel like a stranger in his own home.

He lit a fire and stood up straight, scratching his head.

"Are you hungry? Neither one of us can cook very well but I happen to specialize in cereal," he said with a smile, trying to relieve some tension. The girl looked at him as if he just told her he had 20 billion dollars in his pocket.

"A-Are you sure?" she asked.

"Uh, yeah. I mean, if you don't want cereal…"

She shook her head.

"No. I mean, yes please… if it isn't too much trouble."

Demyx waved her off.

"No problem. Really." He flashed a smile and headed off to the kitchen with Roxas right behind him.

"Shouldn't we call the police or something?" Roxas asked in a whisper. Demyx thought about it for a second while grabbing a bowl and spoon.

"Well, we don't know if she has anywhere to go. And we don't know what happened. I don't want to just hand her off to the cops suddenly. She's already so afraid." he responded, pouring Coco Puffs into the bowl.

'_I hope she likes these,'_ he thought.

"Dem, we don't know who she is. Suppose someone is looking for her. We can't just keep her here." Roxas said. Demyx sighed.

"I say we should get her to talk first, then call." he said, walking out of the kitchen. Roxas lingered for awhile. Demyx could be so stubborn at times, but once he's mind was made up, there was no changing it.

He groaned in frustration and joined the other two in the living room.

* * *

><p>The ride to Axel's house was silent. Every once in awhile, Axel would glance over and see Zexion blinking slowly or just letting his head loll like he was exhausted.<p>

Axel had asked the other boy if he was okay several times but he just nodded. The redhead trusted that Zexion would know if he was feeling well or not and let it go.

Soon, they pulled up into Axel's driveway. He turned off the engine and removed the keys.

"Well, here we are." Axel announced, opening his car door. Zexion watched him get out and take a few steps toward his home before following suit.

Axel unlocked his front door, and let Zexion through the door before entering.

"Something wrong?" he questioned, nodding toward Zexion's arm. He noticed that he always had at least one limb wrapped around his midsection. Zexion looked down with his eyes searching to inspect himself. He looked back up at Axel and shook his head 'no'.

Axel shrugged it off and offered Zexion a shower and some clothes, although they would be too big for the boy. While Zexion was gone, the redhead thought it would be best if he called Roxas back. The blonde was flipping out on him and he would deal with the Zexion situation a little later.

He called, but soon the phone went to voicemail.

"Okay…" he said aloud to no one. He tried calling again, then he called Demyx. He decided to just call their house phone that they never used. Someone _had_ to answer then.

That phone also went straight to voicemail.

Axel ran a hand through his hair and sat down on his sofa. For all he knew, they really were out on a search for him.

He tried to ignore that they hadn't answered the phone and turned on his TV. Flipping through the channels for awhile, he gave up and went into the kitchen. He scanned the fridge, noting that he definitely needed to go grocery shopping and pulling out a root beer. A loud thump was heard from upstairs right as he closed the refrigerator door.

"Zexion?" he called up the stairs. No response.

Axel headed up the stairs, seeing that his bedroom door was opened just as he last saw it. He walked in and looked around. No sign of Zexion.

"Zexion? You okay?" Axel tried again. Still nothing. He was starting to get worried.

He headed to the bathroom door and knocked. There was nothing but silence on the other side of the door. His heart started to pound in his chest as he pushed the door opened slightly.

He looked in the bathroom, eyes widening.

"…What the hell."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Riku felt like such a dick.

Sometimes he did things that he knew were ridiculously stubborn and mean towards Sora, but he'd like to think he was helping him. Seeing him leave and come back unharmed could possibly make something in his mind click and he could see that leaving the house wasn't so bad.

Still, sometimes he wanted to slap himself. He rarely thought before acting.

Riku got to the store, jogging up to the door to avoid getting wet. He noticed that when he entered the building, it was eerily silent. He could hear the fluorescent lights buzzing overhead.

Sticking his hands in his hoodie pockets, he walked over to where the bread was located, looking around for any signs of life. He spotted a girl sitting atop the cashier counter and grabbed a bag of chips before heading over to her.

She looked up from her magazine, eyeing him up and down before blowing a bubble with the pink gum she was chomping on. She gave him a seductive smirk before hopping off the counter.

"Hey there, find everything you need?" she asked, taking her place by the cash register. Riku just nodded at her, looking toward the windows where lightening continued to flash.

"Weird that you're okay here, hottie. It's stormin' bad." she said. Riku noticed that she had a southern accent. "No one in their right mind would come out to this little rinky dink store in this weather."

"So what are you doing here?" Riku asked, eyes narrowed. The girl smiled and blinked, revealing solid black eyes before blinking again, making her green eyes reappear.

"Who says I'm in my right mind, darlin?"

* * *

><p>Demyx and Roxas decided to play charades in the candlelight to pass the time while the girl ate, considering she wanted no part in their friendliness.<p>

"Demyx," Roxas said, quite annoyed, "all you're doing is flailing. I'm sure even you couldn't think that's helpful."

"I'm a bird for crying out loud! You just suck!" Demyx exclaimed, plopping to the ground. "Hey, what if. When Axel called back, it was because that was his last call for help and now he's doomed?"

Roxas blinked at the boy.

"Do you find that funny?" he said, trying to keep the anger out of his voice.

"Why would I think it's funny, Roxas?" Demyx answered in the same tone.

"I can't remember."

The two boys' heads jerked in the direction of the small voice. The girl sat at the table with her head down.

"I can't remember anything, except my name, Naminé. I just remember waking up with that guy watching me." She hugged herself and shivered. "He just told me he had been waiting for me to wake up and then…"

They realized she wasn't going to say anything else.

"And then what, Naminé?" Demyx asked softly. She wouldn't talk anymore after that. Demyx and Roxas looked at one another.

"Should we call the police now?" Roxas asked.

"No!" Naminé looked up at them quickly, eyes wide. "I mean, I don't know where I live or anything. I don't want to be kept by them."

"They could find your family." Demyx pointed out.

"I don't want to go with them." she repeated, eyes locking with his. Demyx straightened up.

"Yeah, you're right. It wouldn't be very safe for a young girl anyway."

Naminé turned to Roxas. He eyed Demyx warily.

"Yeah, fine. I guess you could just stay here until we get something figured out." he said, standing up. "I'm going to call Axel again and go to bed. Demyx can lend you his, right bro?"

Demyx glared at Roxas's retreating form as he disappeared into his room.

"Thank you." Naminé said and smiled at him.

"Yeah…" Demyx said, feeling quite confused. "You're welcome."

* * *

><p>The bathroom was empty.<p>

Axel was confused. Zexion couldn't possibly be anywhere else.

He scratched his head and turned around, jumping back and letting out a yelp.

"How the fuck did you get there?" he yelled at the now clean slate haired boy. He tipped his head at the taller man.

"You bought me here?"

"No! I mean, I was just looking for you and- how'd you get dressed? Those clothes were _just_ sitting on the bed still." Axel went on.

"I think maybe you are hallucinating, Axel. You should sit down." Zexion said, softly.

And Axel sat. Right there on the bathroom floor.

"I don't want to sit," he said, shaking his head and making to get up.

"Yes you do." Zexion said, looking Axel in the eyes. Axel sat back down fully.

Zexion sat in front of him Indian style. placing his elbows on his knees and his chin on his fists. It was silent as they stared at one another.

"Can we…. I don't know… leave the bathroom?" Axel asked. Zexion shushed him loudly, making the redhead give him a quizzical look.

"Wha-"

"Shhh."

Axel sighed and looked away, suddenly getting the urge to be defiant, and stood up.

"…I was looking at your face." Zexion said, as if he were offended.

"I see that!" Axel said, walking around him and out of the bathroom. Zexion sure was weird. Now he understood why he hung out with his goofball friends so much.

The boy followed him out of the bathroom quietly. Axel felt uncomfortable about the eerie silence between them as they traveled down the stairs.

"You do not want me here do you?" Zexion asked, finally breaking the silence.

"I invited you here." Axel said, sitting on the couch. Zexion remained standing and shook his head.

"You invited to take me to… Demyx…" Zexion pointed out. "And that's not the question I asked."

"You're just… more weird than I remember." Axel said honestly. The other boy nodded as if agreeing and wrapped an arm around himself again.

"Things change people. Sometimes for the best, sometimes for the worst." he said and turned around. Something in the air grew thick. It made Axel gulp.

"Yeah? And which way did you change?" he asked.

"Guess you'll be figuring that out…" he said quietly and headed back up the stairs.

* * *

><p>Riku jumped in his car and started up the engine frantically. He didn't know if he was insane or what, but he needed to get back home.<p>

His tires screeched. The smell of burnt rubber filled the air. Smoke trailed behind him. Riku ignored everything as he swerved out into the road, nearly hitting an oncoming vehicle.

He sped down the street, zooming around the few cars that dotted the street. Checking his rearview mirror, it became apparent that the _thing_ from the store was following him.

"Oh my…" he trailed off silently.

He could just barely make out the face of the girl behind him smiling brightly as if she had just won a tournament all by herself. Lightening flashed, illuminating her face and revealing a beast with it's face half ripped off.

Rotting flesh hung from her cheek bone as the wide grin stayed on her face. Her hair was bloody and tattered.

In just those few seconds, Riku nearly swerved off the road. He turned the steering wheel sharply. The wet road caused the tires to slip and sent Riku onto the wrong side of the road. A semi truck's horn blared.

Next, all that was heard was the bang of a crash and the crunch of metal being hit with a full force impact.

* * *

><p>The sun was way too bright through the slightly ajar curtains. Sora opened his eyes and immediately squeezed them shut tightly. He vaguely realized that he was still on the couch. Weird.<p>

He slept through the night and hadn't gotten anything done. His laptop was open on the ground in front of him, along with papers, pencils, and books sprawled everywhere. He must have had another one of his fits.

The really odd thing was that he'd usually clean everything up before Riku could return to see. The other odd thing was that Riku hadn't woken him up or anything.

Sora checked his phone for the time, it was 9:54am. His term paper was due at 12 and there was no sign of his boyfriend.

The brunette's heart sank.

"Riku?" he called and stood up quickly. He searched the kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, anywhere he could think of, all the while calling out his name.

He stopped walking, leaning forward on a counter in the kitchen, breathing deeply to calm himself. He went into the other room and grabbed his cell phone, quickly calling Riku's number. The phone went straight to voicemail each time he called.

A small, frustrated scream escaped Sora as he paced, dialing Roxas's number.

"Sora? It's too early…" Roxas answered, groggily.

"I don't know where Riku is." Sora said, trying desperately not to cry.

"What? Did he go to work? Class?" Roxas asked, sounding more alert now.

"He left last night, in the storm. I fell asleep or blacked out or something. I don't know but I don't think he's been here." Sora said, starting to fall apart.

"Calm down, So. Please. Look, I'm on my way now okay? Just stay calm, I'll be right there." he said.

Sora hung up, wiping his eyes. He was terrified. It wasn't like Riku to not come home or call or anything. Sora got up and looked out the window. Maybe he should go find him? But the thought alone made his breathing come too quick.

"I'm too pathetic…" he said, slumping against a wall.

Sora's phone rang. He rushed to answer, hoping it was Riku. Axel's name flashed across the screen much to his disappointment. He sighed and answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"Sora? Oh god, did you… have you… the news…" was all the redhead got out properly. Sora felt his heartbeat quicken.

"What? What about the news, Axel?" Sora said, standing to go over to the TV.

"Riku…. You haven't heard anything?"

_Riku_.

Sora turned on the TV with a shaky hand.

"Sora?"

"…_car found, completely totaled at 15__th__ and Sunset Drive…."_

The car showed on the screen was silver and blue, Riku's car.

"Sora? Are you okay? Say something!"

"…_..police believe it occurred last night around 10-11pm…."_

"Sora, I'm coming over there okay?"

"…_.no body was found… investigative services are immediately on the case…."_

Sora's phone slipped from his hand. He stared at the crushed car on his screen. The yellow caution tape surrounding the area. The huge semi-truck that had been hauled off of Riku's tiny car.

They didn't find his body.

It didn't make sense.

Sora backed away from the TV, shaking uncontrollably. He tripped over the coffee table, falling backwards. He barely registered anything that happened.

He couldn't breathe. He was gasping for air. Everything around him was starting to close in on him.

"Riku?" he called out to no one, his voice uneven.

He giggled. Still pushing himself away from the TV.

"You're okay right? It's a joke!" he screamed.

The TV started to blur out. He clutched at his chest, trying to steady his breathing. He was beginning to get light-headed.

"…_.no tracks leading to or from the vehicle…."_

The television wasn't even visible anymore. Everything in the room faded until Sora was lost in a sea of black.


	3. Chapter 3

**AH! Sorry I keep taking so long. Everything is so stressful these days :'( !**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

Axel had left in a hurry because of something he had heard on the news. Zexion hadn't quite caught on to what happened. All the redhead got out that was comprehensible was "Riku, Sora, later," which was no help.

Zexion turned the TV back on, seeing the news for himself. The news reporters were live at a scene depicting a crushed car. The reporter mentioned a body not being in the car and no tracks to determine foul play.

The slate haired boy smiled and turned off the television, settling back in the armchair that he had sat in.

He looked at the front door for a few seconds to confirm that Axel wasn't coming back for some forgotten item. When he was certain he was alone, he relaxed his body and closed his eyes. Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, he went completely still.

He reached out with his mind, latching on to a nearby shadow that was cast off a vase. The shadow that he occupied darted forward, speeding from shadow to shadow until he was in a familiar house.

The room was empty, all except for one lone person.

"_Namine'"_ the shadows whispered.

The blonde girl jumped, startled and looking around before realization hit. She relaxed.

"What is it?" she responded.

"_Looks like there is another one joining us soon."_ the whisper of the shadows could have been missed by normal ears. They are about as distinct as a whistle of wind. Namine' would get chills whenever Zexion contacted her this way. It was still too creepy to get used to, especially since she was new.

"Really?" she answered, moving closer to a particularly dark area of the room. "Would your knowledge have anything to do with the news?"

"_Yes, actually,"_ the voice was certainly clearer in this area, _"he is also a friend of this group we occupy."_

"Good. The full mission can start soon." the girl said with a small smile. "Luckily I found an easy target."

"_Indeed it can."_

Zexion's mind lost grip on the shadows of where Namine' was. The dark cloud sped toward him before he could brace himself and left a sharp, stabbing pain in his head. He gasped in his seat, eyes snapping open.

He clutched his head and leaned forward, waiting for the world to stop spinning. That was not how the connection was supposed to break. Something was off.

He sat up and looked down at himself. Blood soaked the front of the gray shirt Axel had lent him. Zexion quickly lifted the clothing, inspecting a large crater that took up most of his ribs down to the middle of his stomach.

"Fuck… not again."

He had to get out of the shirt and find another, all without Axel noticing when he got back. The boy groaned and stood up, wrapping his arms tightly around himself.

They really needed to hurry and finish the mission.

All he wanted out of it was to be healed.

* * *

><p>"Sora? Sora… you need to wake up now."<p>

Sora squeezed his eyes shut tighter and clenched his fists.

"Okay, I _know_ you're awake. Open your eyes, it's okay. It's only me."

Sora didn't react for a few seconds then finally opened his eyes, looking up at his psychiatrist of three years, Dr. Valentine. He took the time to look around the room, seeing Roxas and Axel had made their way to his house.

"Roxas! Riku…" Sora started but his twin only shushed him.

"Relax, So. We heard. Just relax." the blonde said to his brother softly from his seat on the arm of the couch. Sora frowned. He knew that tone.

"Sora, I understand this is a very stressful event okay, but please cooperate." Dr. Valentine said calmly. Sora nodded, staring off into space. "No, Sora, focus on me. I have a few questions for you."

Sora groaned and grabbed a nearby pillow to cover his face with. Roxas reached over and tugged at the pillow.

"You are being such a kid, Sora. It's embarrassing, cut it out!" he said, growing agitated as Sora yelled muffled no's from behind the pillow.

A sigh was heard and the pillow was effortlessly lifted off of Sora's face, revealing an unamused redhead in its wake.

"For the record, both of you are embarrassing. Anyway, on with the questions, Doc." he said, nodding toward the raven-haired male.

"Thank you, Axel," Dr. Valentine said, nodding back, "I see you are feeling better, since you are up to these antics?" he said, raising an eyebrow at Sora.

"I don't want to talk about this. Can I please just sleep?" the brunette asked, finally sitting up.

"Have you been taking your medication?" Dr. Valentine asked anyway, clicking his pen for use. Sora glared at him for a moment before looking away.

"Yes…"

"Sora…" he said in a warning tone.

"I didn't need it anymore! I was fine! I just wanted to be normal again, okay?" Sora snapped, raising his voice. There was a brief silence before Dr. Valentine put his pen and notebook down and leaned forward in his chair.

"I understand that. And no one is blaming you, but you can't just make those decisions for yourself. Your… predicament is too far deep-rooted to-"

Sora's eyes snapped up toward the man, a cold glint cutting off his sentence like a knife.

"Don't you dare," he said. His voice had dropped to a low, menacing growl that practically froze the room. "Don't you bring that up, _Vincent_."

Roxas and Axel looked at each other, concern lacing both of their features.

"What? What is it other than the whole Zexion thing?" Roxas asked.

"Nothing." Sora snapped, standing up and tossing the pillow aside. "Nothing, nothing, _nothing_!" he screamed, grabbing his head, tugging on his own hair harshly.

Axel rushed over and grabbed his hands, forcing them to his sides. Roxas had stood up and watched with tears in his eyes.

"Call an ambulance to come and get him," Vincent said and at Roxas's expression added, "it's for the best."

Roxas nodded and pulled out his cellphone, wandering into a hallway to make the call. Axel struggled with Sora still as Vincent walked over to the two.

"Sora, listen. Stop fighting your friend and listen. Calm down, I will not push any further, I just need you to cooperate." he said.

"_Fuck you_!" the young boy spat. "Fuck you! You only stress me out more. You are fucking _worthless_."

He struggled some more in Axel's strong grip and got fed up with not being able to get free. He quickly leaned forward and chomped a vicious bite at the redhead's upper arm. Axel yelled out and released his grip.

"The little bastard bit me!" he shouted, glaring murderously at the shorter boy.

Sora took that opportunity to run for his room, unaware that Roxas was still in the hallway. He sprung into attack and pinned his brother, holding his arms against the wall.

"Sora, stop this!" he pleaded.

In perfect timing, two men in uniforms came into the hallway, Axel and Vincent crowding around the other end. Roxas stepped aside so that they could get to Sora.

"No! I am not going with them!" he shouted as they began to pull him towards the living room. "Roxas! You can't let them do this! Look, I'll listen!"

"Wait!" Roxas exclaimed suddenly, causing the two men to pause. He walked up closer to his brother, seeing that his eyes were completely unfocused, he sighed.

"Sora, Dr. Valentine says you may be relapsing. And the way you're acting now…"

"I am _fine_. I just want to find Riku. That's all. Please." he answered. The anger in his voice had dropped to a helpless whimper and he begun to tear up. Roxas felt horrible that this was happening to his brother. He was going through enough shit with his day to day anxiety, and now Riku was missing and he had no choice but to do this.

"We want to help you, So. We do. You have to get better. We'll find Riku, and you'll do your best to get to him, all right?" the blonde responded.

"So you're just going to let them send me off?" he yelled, tears rolling down his face. "No! I won't do this! I'm not going out there!"

He almost broke free of the slackened grips he was held by, but the medics were too fast. One used a free hand to pull a syringe from his deep pockets and looked up at Roxas apologetically.

"Sorry, it's kind of necessary. Either he comes willingly or we have to sedate him." he said. Sora spat at the man.

"Sedate me. Go ahead. Because I will not go with you that easy." he said.

"Sora, chill. Please, just go with them. We'll be right there okay? I don't want to watch them knock you out, the protective big bro feelings will come out of me and we don't want that." Axel finally spoke up, with a light-hearted smirk. "and you're upsetting Roxy. Riku wouldn't want you like this either."

"Yes, and you won't be there forever, Sora. Just relax and cooperate and you're back before you know it." Vincent added.

Sora had calmed down a little by then and looked at each of them with tear-filled eyes.

"Why do I have to go away? I'll listen. I can't go out there." he said quietly.

"You have to go because we can't be here to keep an eye on you all the time. Until we find Riku, or you learn how to cope, this is what we _have _to do." Axel said in good nature.

"I'm so sorry, Sora. It's for the best right now. I don't want to see you get worse and I can't help on my own…" Roxas stated. Sora didn't move or respond for a while. It was quiet as if everyone in the room held their breath,

"And you'll be there when I get there?" he asked. Roxas nodded. "And you won't all just disappear?"

"I put it on my life, buddy." Axel said.

Sora took a deep breath.

"Okay…. let's go."

* * *

><p>Namine' insisted that she wanted to go for a walk. Demyx would rather stay indoors and mope around from all the stress he was feeling, but the girl was giving him epic puppy dog eyes and the expression always hit his weak spot.<p>

"You know," Demyx said once they left the house, "not to be insensitive, but I thought you wouldn't want to come out here so soon after being dragged off by a strange man."

Namine' seemed not to be listening. Her eyes were focused on the wooded area directly across from the house. Her eyes glistened with horror and her breathing hitched.

"Namine'? Namine'! Hey, I'm sorry," Demyx said, grabbing her arms. She gasped and quickly turned her head away from the woods and toward the dirty blonde and down to his hands. He quickly pulled away.

"I didn't mean to open new wounds, or invade your space." he said, scratching the back of his head.

"Its… it's fine." Namine' responded. "Let's just go, please."

Demyx didn't question it any further and started to walk in the opposite direction. It was silent as the two walked along, Namine' was more focused on looking around than paying Demyx any attention.

"Do you not remember the outdoors either?" Demyx asked, then paused. "Maybe you weren't from around here… do you remember that by any chance?" Namine' shook her head.

"It all looks so new and pretty. Like I could just stay out here all day." she said cheerfully.

"Yeah, I like to go to the park sometimes and play my guitar. Just, whatever comes to me, you know?" Demyx said. "It's a nice place to just sit and think."

"Can we go there?" she asked. Demyx shrugged.

"Sure, why not?" he said, turning to the right. Namine' followed close behind, barely listening to anything the boy said. Her eyes rapidly moved around the area, making sure to get a view of every section.

From her perspective, everything looked as though she were looking through a camera. She mentally took pictures of every direction she looked and stored the images away. She found paying so much attention to the scenery at the moment pointless, but it was her current task.

Her interest did spark full force when she got a good look at the park.

She had no idea it would be that easy. That it would be in this exact location.

"Wow, it's beautiful!" she exclaimed.

There were several well-kept trees lining the wide circle of the park. A large fountain sat in the middle of vibrant green grass.

People sat on wooden benches reading, talking, some were napping. Children were running and playing Frisbee. A few people walked their dogs and a few people were having picnics.

But there was way more to this park than these people knew.

Namine' turned to Demyx with a look of genuine interest.

"So, how about you tell me more about this park?"

* * *

><p>It was not okay.<p>

He was not ready.

Stepping outside was the worst decision he could have made.

It was not just the fact that it was _outside_ where _no one_ was _ever_ safe. It was also without Riku. Riku, who had _vanished_ when he went _outside_.

Sora felt dizzy. His head spun and he felt like he couldn't breath. His chest felt crushed, all he could do was desperately gasp for oxygen.

The medics had allowed Sora to walk out the door alone for comfort, they had to rush to catch him. His entire body went limp and his vision blacked out. He could just barely make out various voices yelling his name.

When he awoke, he was alone. In the dark.

He looked around, eyes slowly adjusting in the dim moonlight that came from a high up barred window.

"_Sora, chill. Please, just go with them. We'll be right there okay?"_

So much for that, he thought.

Panic started to well up in his chest. He curled up on his bed and gripped locks of his hair into his fist.

"It's okay, it's okay, it's okay…." he mumbled to himself. A quiet noise caused him to snap out of his mini breakdown and look to his left.

Someone else was there. Just staring back at him.

"Umm," he started, pausing to gulp, "Roxas?"

Whoever was across from him remained silent. Sora could faintly see the figure move, and far too fast for him to react.

Dark blue eyes were directly in front of his. He could feel the other's breath over his mouth. They smelled of orange and some spice he couldn't quite catch.

He couldn't move. Fear held him down in place.

And just like that, the other person was gone.


End file.
